Special education literature abounds with a challenge to special educators to promote the acquisition of self-determination skills in their students. A critical component of self-determination that can be readily addressed in the school setting is self-advocacy. The authors believe that meeting the challenge of enhancing student's self-advocacy…

This paper presents the third part of the "Massachusetts Primer on Special Education and Charter Schools." Part III addresses the issues concerning the education of students with disabilities at all stages in the development and operation of a Massachusetts charter school. The information is intended to inform those who are responsible…

The 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) called for an increase in student involvement in individualized education program (IEP) meetings. To determine the extent of student involvement in educational planning, this study observed 109 middle and high school IEP meetings; 90% of the participants completed a…

Federal legislation requires that all students, including students with disabilities, be included in all state and district-level accountability systems. Many students can take the regular assessment with or without accommodations, but some students with disabilities need alternate ways to access assessments. For the past several years, states…

Giangreco helps teachers answer one of the hardest questions in including students with disabilities in mainstream classes: How can teachers include students who function substantially below grade level? Giangreco describes a teacher who must help a boy working at kindergarten level participate in the academic work of her 5th grade class. He…

Benchmarks and standards have become an important part of the teachers' instructional focus since the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. As educators they all recognize the importance of having high expectations of their students. Standards help schools articulate these expectations clearly to students, their parents, and the community. Yet, there…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to demonstrate and evaluate the incorporation of teambuilding training into a graduate course on transition. A total of 33 students in two different sections of the course participated in six exercises focusing on group development and teambuilding and a group simulation. Students provided input about…

The present study examined how public school administrators negotiate discipline policies that are intended to protect the common good and the educational rights of students with disabilities. We investigated the political nature of these decisions and the strategies used in reaching them through interviews with administrators in 9 public high…

Fitness testing is an important assessment tool used by physical educators for many purposes. Some states require fitness testing to monitor individual student progress throughout the school year. Some physical educators use it to monitor the effects of the physical education curriculum and to teach concepts such as goal setting and personal…

This guide (with audiotape) offers information on helping students with disabilities become involved in developing their own Individualized Education Programs (IEP). The guide is organized into lesson plans which can be adapted to individual situations. Individual lessons focus on the following topics: (1) introductory work with students (such as…

This paper lists five principles to consider that will enable beginning teachers to defend Individualized Education Program (IEP) decisions for students with disabilities in due process hearings. The first principle urges teachers to consider placing children with disabilities in regular education with supplemental aids and services when making…

This study investigated the nature and extent of physical education programs for individuals with disabilities in Washington State's small rural public school districts. Questionnaires were sent to 185 superintendents of small rural school districts in the state. Of the 128 responses, 70.3% enrolled individuals with disabilities. Fifty-eight…

The manual is intended to help parent surrogates carry out their role by providing an overview of the special education decisionmaking process in Maryland. The parent surrogate is responsible for representing the child in all matters relating to identification, evaluation, educational placement, and programing. Roles of the parent surrogate are…

This document consists of three separately published two-fold brochures. The three brochures provide guidelines for families of persons with disabilities to assess the level of integration efforts by local school districts and special education cooperatives. Guidelines are presented in the form of yes-no questions about administrative commitment,…

The paper describes the use of expert systems technology in translating test and observational data into objectives for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) with handicapped students. The Math Test Interpreter (MTI) is designed to combine student information, results from the Key Math Diagnostic Arithmetic Test and additional program generated…